The carapaced beast continued crawling in from the murky waters, dozens of smaller legs pulling through the waves. It's maws clamping, as if taunting the golden eyed boy before it.
Naren stood his ground, his hands raised to block his head. Jan had already fled leaving just him and the beast left.
His golden eyes scattered through the rain drops. He always hated moving targets. They were the hardest to use as targets.
But as a last resort, they'll do.
Just then, the beast lunged forward, it's claws, snapping at the boy who weaved and ducked before throwing an uppercut at the shell. The other claw crossed over with enough force to delimb Naren in one swift swat. Only for it to follow through and hit nothing.
In an instant, Naren's bare feet fell through a raindrop right above the beast. His heel around in an arrow-like form digging into the tough outer shell of the centipede-like creature.
The beast shifted, rolling on the wooden floor, but once again Naren was gone. Arriving through another raindrop, doubling through with a roundhouse kick to one of it's legs.
Just like inside the basilisk, Naren continued to scatter around the abomination in a million different pieces. As if there was an army attacking the great beast, Naren continued to disappear only to reappear, chipping away at the creature drop by drop.
The pounding of raindrops hitting the same rhythm of kicks, elbows, and jabs Naren threw.
Sliding away, Naren drew his breath. His face screamed of exhaustion followed only by his haggard breathing as his heart thumped.
However, in front of him, the beast stood up, long limp antennas flinging around from it's jaw to reorient itself. It clamped it's jaw several times, then shook it's head. Not a scratch of sustained damage on its body.
"You're...kidding."
Naren's state was only getting worse. This was nothing like the basilisk. That flimsy reptile went down easily, but this insect...it was like hitting an iron wall.
The beast whipped it's tail at him, knocking down several wall's in the process.
Naren hopped over it, too tired to try and walk through another reflection. Soon regretting it, as a tough set of claws dug through his abdomen, squeezing him.
He held it's maws from clamping shut. Surprisingly, it was smooth, without any rough edges. If Naren knew better he'd know that it was because this particular beast would crush it's food into paste due to it's lack of teeth.
But he didn't.
His golden eyes flickered as he walked through a raindrop, collapsing onto his own knees, breathing heavily.
His fable was always exhausting to use repeatedly, by now he was completely drained. Not to mention the fact that he had just come out of the basilisk not even a couple hours back.
"I...give...up..."
The beast's antenna flung around a bit more, as the creature's head wandered around. It shook it's head. Turning side to side.
'What's it doing?'
Suddenly, the antenna flung around, waving in the wind for a second before the creature's gaze once again locked onto Naren.
———————
"Unhand me...you...you pervert!"
Vera was struggling under Jan's grip, a bitter cold washing over her whole body.
"Behave little lady, don't forget that you're a witch."
That was enough to make Vera drop her attitude. She was fully aware of how much of a scrutiny it was to be born a witch. Yet she had gone and been born anyway. Throughout her whole life she had been made painfully aware just how much damage being in the presence of a witch really causes.
"There you go, that's more like it."
Jan had taken Vera to a neighboring shed, setting her down. One that was shaking from the frenzied storm outside. The ground they stood on coasting on the rough waves.
Jan pulled a silver key from his pocket, holding it over Vera's head.
"This key unlocks the chains that holds my ship. As a witch it's my duty to take you to Tartarus. Now there you're only job would be to create more shamans...However, I can also just turn a blind eye to it all. How about it?"
"Sir, surely I will—"
Vera's hand reached out for the key before Jan pulled it back.
"Of course, you'll have to leave that boy behind as well."
Vera tilted her head.
"What...what if I wish to stay?"
"Then you'll have to fight the Scuttleback with him. Though if you turn him into a shaman you two may win."
Vera hesitated longer than she should. There was no up side to staying behind. There was no reason for her to stay here...Nothing that actually warranted her to stay.
"The... the key..."
———————
Naren took a heavy hit, that he just barely blocked with his forearms. Though it was almost pointless, as the blunt claws of the beast threw him back a couple feet.
He almost fell off what was left of the platform, the house now a shell of its former self.
"You win already...Just leave me be you bug!"
Naren rolled out of the way as the abomination pierced the floor of where he had just been. It's claw digging into the wooden floor.
He got back up to his feet sluggishly, his eyes drifting off. He had to shake his head from losing consciousness right there.
'Stay awake. Stay awake Naren.'
Naren's body was tough. It was always durable. Even now, after fighting such an armored beast, he was still only left with a couple bruises. Though his shortcoming comes with his endurance.
His breath was haggard as his golden eyes darted around. One more reflection jump, maybe two...That was his limit now. He was already abusing his fable, but his body had always been on the tiresome end, needing at least twelve hours of sleep a night.
Well not like he was able to get that at all recently.
The beast twirled around, it's antenna's dancing around in the wind.
"God damn it..."
As his voice croaked out Naren's eyes widened as he watched a small body appear from behind the beast. A broken plank in her hand.
He grimaced as he imagined the beast looking back and stepping on Vera. But at least she could be a good distraction. He could finally make a run for it.
"Naren!"
'Well, she's dead.'
Naren darted his eyes to the furthest rain drop he could focus on. But his gaze refused to leave that of the little girl.
For some reason he couldn't take his eyes off her.
The beast shifted, the antennas pointing. But it's gaze...was directed at him.
"Naren, this creature is both deaf and blind!"